The end of a year the start of a NEW one!

Well Christmas has come and gone and now we are about to say good bye to the year of 2012. It has been a good year all in all. Lots of memories were made, we welcomed my wonderful niece Mila into the world as well as 2 beautiful nephews, Owen and Nathan. We enjoyed many good times with great friends and we look forward to 2013 to bring us new friends, a new house, a new community and I am looking forward to a new career. I cant wait for the the possibility to head our way as we embrace the next chapter of our lives. Good bye 2012 Hello 2013!!!!

Christmas 2012

20 Things a Mother Should Tell Her Son

1. You will set the tone for the sexual relationship, so don't take something away from her that you can't give back. 2. Play a sport. It will teach you how to win honorably, lose gracefully, respect authority, work with others, manage your time and stay out of trouble. And maybe even throw or catch. 3. Use careful aim when you pee. Somebody's got to clean that up, you know. 4. Save money when you're young because you're going to need it some day. 5. Allow me to introduce you to the dishwasher, oven, washing machine, iron, vacuum, mop and broom. Now please go use them. 6. Pray and be a spiritual leader. 7. Don't ever be a bully and don't ever start a fight, but if some idiot clocks you, please defend yourself. 8. Your knowledge and education is something that nobody can take away from you. 9. Treat women kindly. Forever is a long time to live alone and it's even longer to live with somebody who hates your guts. 10. Take pride in your appearance. 11. Be strong and tender at the same time. 12. A woman can do everything that you can do. This includes her having a successful career and you changing diapers at 3 A.M. Mutual respect is the key to a good relationship. 13. "Yes ma'am" and "yes sir" still go a long way. 14. The reason that they're called "private parts" is because they're "private". Please do not scratch them in public. 15. Peer pressure is a scary thing. Be a good leader and others will follow. 16. Bringing her flowers for no reason is always a good idea. 17. Be patriotic. 18. Potty humor isn't the only thing that's humorous. 19. Please choose your spouse wisely. My daughter-in-law will be the gatekeeper for me spending time with you and my grandchildren. 20. Remember to call your mother because I might be missing you.

Day 20 - Dance

Brooklyn loves to dance!

Day 19- Jobs

Even though sometimes they are tiring and tedious...they help us to reach our financial goals and keep food on the table and a roof on our head. And the kids are pretty cute!

Day 18- Santa clause pareade with the family

Day 17- Sleep overs at Grammie's

Enough said!

Day 16- our house

It is our's, it is warm and it is our home!

Day 15- Health

We all have it right now, sure we catch colds but we can kick it and get back to being healthy!

Day 14- school

BEcause our friends go there, our teachers are nice and we learn fun things!

Day 13- Family

Today we are thankful for family, and specifically ours. Nothing is more comforting then know you have people in this lifetime who would do anything for you, always have your back and are your should to lean and cry on! To love and be loved, to care and to be cared for, to give and to have comfort, those are just some of the special things about a family.

Day 12- our toys!

Day 11- Soldiers

Today is Remembrance day, we are thankful for those that fought for our country!

Day 10- Friends

Today we are thankful for friends

day 9- food!

Cause we like to eat especially treats!

Day 8 of Gratitude!

Today I am grateful for my momma, she is an amazing momma, she is always there for me, she supports me, she teaches me and I love her alot!!! Love you momma!

Day 6

Today we are thankful for Dr Herr, Brycen's chiropractor. Nothing beats a doctor who doesnt push drugs,puffers and the traditional western medical ways.

Day 5

Today we are thankful for family!

Day 4

We are thankful for God and Jesus because he's special and he made us! "Ya so I don't have a picture of God and Jesus but he made us so I have a picture of you both at Uncle Mike and Aunt Giulia's wedding!!

Day 3

We are thankful for our mom and dad cause they love us

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Day 2

We are thankful for our sister and brother!

Thankful! -Day 1

As a parent it is so important for me to teach our kids to be thankful for everything that they have small and big so that they can appreciate everything that they always have in their lives. So we have decided that for the month of November each day at dinner time we will discuss one thing that we are thankful for and i thought what a better way to remember this little project then by blogging it so the kids can see in years to come what they were thankful for when they were 3.5 and 5.5 years old. Day 1 We are thankful for dogs and our dog

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Fall 2012

I know I know I am so behind on my blog.... so many things have been happening lately! We have had a beautiful fall and we really took in the leaves and the nature by visiting Nonno's cottage for a weekend a couple weeks ago. We did scavenger hunts and made a time capsule that we will revisit in 5 or so years. It was a gorgeous weekend. Halloween was a blast, first year Brooklyn truly got to enjoy it. She ran from house to house not to shy to say trick or treat. If it weren't for Brycen I could of just stood at the end of the driveway she was so confident and at ease. I cant believe how fast they are growing up. 2 hours later we have enough loot to last till next year. Here is what we have been up too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time of year, a time to bask in the beauty of the world and how it transforms from green to lots of beautiful colors. A time of warm fuzzy sweaters, fleece sheets and hanging out around the fire and a time to be reminded of all the things we are grateful for. This year was extraordinarily special, we spent the day yesterday at the cottage with the whole family, relaxing, eating and chatting. It was such a treat and a blessing. I enjoy my life as a an adult and now I get to hang out with my nonna, my dad and my uncle and their wonderful girlfriends and we mingle as adults. I love seeing how much my dad and my uncle have come into themselves over the years. They have become such nice men who genuinely seem so happy in their lives. I also had the luxury of spending the day with my little bro and see him in action in his role of daddy. I got to tell you that is such an amazing thing. I love watching my brother, he is at ease and comfortable and now we are experiencing the same stage in our lives. You know their is something so special about your siblings having their own children because last night as I gazed at my niece's face and admired how adorable she was and how much I thought she looked like my bro he said to me that sometimes he see`s me in Mila. That is just too cool. For so many reasons this year I am grateful and in lieu of the holiday let me take this time to post them. * For my children, their health, their innocence and their love. * My husband, he is my best friend, my companion, and my shoulder to lean on. He know`s me sometimes better then I know myself, he cares about me and always thinks of my needs, he is a great man and wonderful husband and a patient and loving dad. * My family is special, supportive!

Raising Brooklyn

Brooklyn you are full of life and potential. Your determined and strong willed, confident and awesome. You are talented and wonderful and a total spit fire...... I have spent countless nights worrying that I don't show you enough love and that I am screwing you up. I use to worry myself to sleep about boys, homework ect and now I toss and turn at night replaying my parenting errors and worrying that you will have low self esteem all thanks to moi. I love you kid, I wish you knew that the things I ask of you aren't to be bossy or mean or controlling its because I always only have your best interests at heart and I think it is what would be the best way for u. I know at 5 you don't understand that and we fight incessantly but dear girl please know I love u from the bottom of my heart and till the end of the earth and back and I only want what is best for you. So please listen when I ask you to put your coat on cause its cold and please stop taking that tone with me, I worry I am raising a disrespectful child. Please eat your cauliflower but only one bite and please stop hurting the dog like that I tell you one day he is going to leave A scar on your pretty little face. I love you kid your exactly like I was I know it but can't we work together so we can get through these years without daddy taking us to the ring. I love u girl!!! My light, my life my heart my soul my love! Xoxoxoxo

Ten Tips for Positive Parenting Your Strong-Willed, Spirited Child

Love this... Cause a strong willed child may be hard to parent but will be an excellent leader... 1. Avoid power struggles by using routines and rules. That way, you aren't bossing them around, it’s just that “The rule is we use the potty after every meal and snack,” or “The schedule is that lights-out is at 8pm. If you hurry, we’ll have time for two books,” or "In our house, we finish homework before computer, TV, or telephone time." The parent stops being the bad guy. 2. Your strong-willed child wants mastery more than anything. Let her take charge of as many of her own activities as possible. Don’t nag at her to brush her teeth, ask “What else do you need to do before we leave?” If she looks blank, tick off the short list: “Every morning we eat, brush teeth, use the toilet, and pack the backpack. I saw you pack your backpack, great job! Now, what do you still need to do before we leave?” Kids who feel more independent and in charge of themselves will have less need to rebel and be oppositional. Not to mention they take responsibility early. 3. Give your strong-willed child choices. If you give orders, he will almost certainly bristle. If you offer a choice, he feels like the master of his own destiny. Of course, only offer choices you can live with and don’t let yourself get resentful by handing away your power. If going to the store is non-negotiable and he wants to keep playing, an appropriate choice is: “Do you want to leave now or in ten minutes?” 4. Give her authority over her own body. “I hear that you don’t want to wear your jacket today. I think it is cold and I am definitely wearing a jacket. Of course, you are in charge of your own body, as long as you stay safe and healthy, so you get to decide whether to wear a jacket. But I’m afraid that you will be cold once we are outside, and I won’t want to come back to the house. How about I put your jacket in the backpack, and then we’ll have it if you change your mind?” She’s not going to get pneumonia, unless you push her into it by acting like you’ve won if she asks for the jacket. And once she won’t lose face by wearing her jacket, she’ll be begging for it once she gets cold. It’s just hard for her to imagine feeling cold when she’s so warm right now in the house, and a jacket seems like such a hassle. She's sure she's right -- her own body is telling her so -- so naturally she resists you. You don't want to undermine that self-confidence, just teach her that there's no shame in letting new information change your mind. 5. Don't push him into opposing you. If you take a hard and fast position, you can easily push your child into defying you, just to prove a point. You'll know when it's a power struggle and you're invested in winning. Just stop, take a breath, and remind yourself that winning a battle with your child always sets you up to lose what’s most important: the relationship. When in doubt say "Ok, you can decide this for yourself." If he can't, then say what part of it he can decide, or find another way for him to meet his need for autonomy without compromising his health or safety. 6. Side step power struggles by letting your child save face. You don’t have to prove you’re right. You can, and should, set reasonable expectations and enforce them. But under no circumstances should you try to break your child’s will or force him to acquiesce to your views. Just recently I heard from a mother how she herself refused to take a nap at age four. It wasn't enough that she finally was forced to get into her bed, her father spanked her until she said she wanted to nap. This was a defining moment of this woman's life, and she spent the rest of her childhood alternating between rebelling against her parents and considering suicide. 7. Listen to her. You, as the adult, might reasonably presume you know best. But your strong-willed child has a strong will partly as a result of her integrity. She has a viewpoint that is making her hold fast to her position, and she is trying to protect something that seems important to her. Only by listening calmly to her and reflecting her words will you come to understand what’s making her oppose you. A non-judgmental “I hear that you don’t want to take a bath. Can you tell me more about why?” might just elicit the information that she’s afraid she’ll go down the drain, like Alice in the song. It may not seem like a good reason to you, but she has a reason. And you won’t find it out if you get into a clash and order her into the tub. 8. See it from his point of view. For instance, he may be angry because you promised to wash his superman cape and then forgot. To you, he is being stubborn. To him, he is justifiably upset, and you are being hypocritical, because he is not allowed to break his promises to you. How do you clear this up and move on? You apologize profusely for breaking your promise, you reassure him that you try very hard to keep your promises, and you go, together, to wash the cape. You might even teach him how to wash his own clothes! Just consider how would you want to be treated, and treat him accordingly. 9. Discipline through the relationship, never through punishment. Kids don’t learn when they’re in the middle of a fight. Like all of us, that’s when adrenaline is pumping and learning shuts off. Kids behave because they want to please us. The more you fight with and punish your child, the more you undermine her desire to please you. 10. Offer him respect and empathy. Most strong-willed children are fighting for respect. If you offer it to them, they don’t need to fight to protect their position. And, like the rest of us, it helps a lot if they feel understood. If you see his point of view and think he's wrong -- for instance, he wants to wear the superman cape to synagogue and you think that's inappropriate -- you can still offer him empathy and meet him part way while you set the limit. "You love this cape and wish you could wear it, don't you? But when we go to Temple we dress up, and we can't wear the cape. I know you'll miss wearing it. How about we take it with us so you can wear it on our way home?"

25 Rules for moms with daughters

I do hate being told how to parent but this was just to cute!

1. Paint her nails. Then let her scratch it off and dirty them up. Teach her to care about her appearance, and then quickly remind her that living and having fun is most important. 2. Let her put on your makeup, even if it means bright-red-smudged lips and streaked-blue eyes. Let her experiment in her attempts to be like you…then let her be herself. 3. Let her be wild. She may want to stay home and read books on the couch, or she may want to hop on the back of a motorcycle-gasp. She may be a homebody or a traveler. She may fall in love with the wrong boy, or meet mr. right at age 5. Try to remember that you were her age once. Everyone makes mistakes, let her make her own. 4. Be present. Be there for her at her Kindergarten performances, her dance recitals, her soccer games…her everyday-little-moments. When she looks through the crowds of people, she will be looking for your smile and pride. Show it to her as often as possible. 5. Encourage her to try on your shoes and play dress-up. If she would rather wear her brother’s superman cape with high heals, allow it. If she wants to wear a tutu or dinosaur costume to the grocery store, why stop her? She needs to decide who she is and be confident in her decision. 6. Teach her to be independent. Show her by example that woman can be strong. Find and follow your own passions. Search for outlets of expression and enjoyment for yourself- not just your husband or children. Define yourself by your own attributes, not by what others expect you to be. Know who you are as a person, and help your daughter find out who she is. 7. Pick flowers with her. Put them in her hair. There is nothing more beautiful than a girl and a flower. 8. Let her get messy. Get messy with her, no matter how much it makes you cringe inside. Splash in the puddles, throw snowballs, make mud pies, finger paint the walls: just let it happen. The most wonderful of memories are often the messy ones. 9. Give her good role models- you being one of them. Introduce her to successful woman- friends, co-workers, doctors, astronauts, or authors. Read to her about influential woman- Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Marie Curie. Read her the words of inspirational woman- Jane Austen, Sylvia Plath, Emily Dickinson. She should know that anything is possible. 10. Show her affection. Daughters will mimic the compassion of their mother. “I love yous” and Eskimo kisses go a long way. 11. Hold her hand. Whether she is 3 years-old in the parking lot or sixteen years old in the mall, hold on to her always- this will teach her to be confident in herself and proud of her family. 12. Believe in her. It is the moments that she does not believe in herself that she will need you to believe enough for both of you. Whether it is a spelling test in the first grade, a big game or recital, a first date, or the first day of college…remind her of the independent and capable woman you have taught her to be. 13. Tell her how beautiful she is. Whether it is her first day of Kindergarten, immediately after a soccer game where she is grass-stained and sweaty, or her wedding day. She needs your reminders. She needs your pride. She needs your reassurance. She is only human. 14. Love her father. Teach her to love a good man, like him. One who lets her be herself…she is after all wonderful. 15. Make forts with boxes and blankets. Help her to find magic in the ordinary, to imagine, to create and to believe in fairy tales. Someday she will make her 5 by 5 dorm-room her home with magic touches and inspiration. And she will fall in love with a boy and believe him to be Prince Charming. 16. Read to her. Read her Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle. But also remember the power of Sylvia Plath and Robert Frost. Show her the beauty of words on a page and let her see you enjoy them. Words can be simply written and simply spoken, yet can harvest so much meaning. Help her to find their meaning. 17. Teach her how to love- with passion and kisses. Love her passionately. Love her father passionately and her siblings passionately. Express your love. Show her how to love with no restraint. Let her get her heart broken and try again. Let her cry, and gush, giggle and scream. She will love like you love or hate like you hate. So, choose love for both you and her. 18. Encourage her to dance and sing. Dance and sing with her- even if it sounds or looks horrible. Let her wiggle to nursery rhymes. Let her dance on her daddy's feet and spin in your arms. Then later, let her blast noise and headbang in her bedroom with her door shut if she wants. Or karaoke to Tom Petty in the living room if she would rather. Introduce her to the classics- like The Beatles- and listen to her latest favorite- like Taylor Swift. Share the magic of music together, it will bring you closer- or at least create a soundtrack to your life together. 19. Share secrets together. Communicate. Talk. Talk about anything. Let her tell you about boys, friends, school. Listen. Ask questions. Share dreams, hopes, concerns. She is not only your daughter, you are not only her mother. Be her friend too. 20. Teach her manners. Because sometimes you have to be her mother, not just her friend. The world is a happier place when made up of polite words and smiles. 21. Teach her when to stand-up and when to walk away. Whether she has classmates who tease her because of her glasses, or a boyfriend who tells her she is too fat- let her know she does not have to listen. Make sure she knows how to demand respect- she is worthy of it. It does not mean she has to fight back with fists or words, because sometimes you say more with silence. Also make sure she knows which battles are worth fighting. Remind her that some people can be mean and nasty because of jealousy, or other personal reasons. Help her to understand when to shut her mouth and walk-away. Teach her to be the bigger -the better- person. 22. Let her choose who she loves. Even when you see through the charming boy she thinks he is, let her love him without your disapproving words: she will anyway. When he breaks her heart, be there for her with words of support rather than I told-you-so. Let her mess up again and again until she finds the one. And when she finds the one, tell her. 23. Mother her. Being a mother—to her—is undoubtedly one of your greatest accomplishments. Share with her the joys of motherhood, so one day she will want to be a mother too. Remind her over and over again with words and kisses that no one will ever love her like you love her. No one can replace or replicate a mother’s love for their children. 24. Comfort her. Because sometimes you just need your mommy. When she is sick, rub her back, make her soup and cover her in blankets- no matter how old she is. Someday, if she is giving birth to her own child, push her hair out of her face, encourage her, and tell her how beautiful she is. These are the moments she will remember you for. And someday when her husband rubs her back in attempt to comfort her...she may just whisper, "I need my mommy." 25. Be home. When she is sick with a cold or broken heart, she will come to you: welcome her. When she is engaged or pregnant, she will run to you to share her news: embrace her. When she is lost or confused, she will search for you: find her. When she needs advice on boys, schools, friends or an outfit: tell her. She is your daughter and will always need a safe harbor- where she can turn a key to see comforting eyes and a familiar smile: be home.

Back to school

I'm a big girl now.... This year Brooklyn is starting full day senior Kindergarten. She got on the bus just like a big girl, and off she went. She did fabulously!

Summer in full swing!!!

So we are nearing mid august, our holidays have come and gone. We have had a summer full of beaching it,fishing,swimming, sandcastles, nature walks, late nights, frogs, snakes, friends and lots and lots of memories have been made! Brooklyn's favorite memory: "Going to the candy store!" Brycen favorite memory:"Going to the candy store!" Funny huh that the candy store was their favorite thing....it is a 5 minute process yet they both agreed that was their favorite part of summer vacation.

Summer is in full swing!

What have we been up too these days.... Well if a picture is worth a thousand words, I have a thousand pictures to remind us what we have been doing...and we have been having a blast.